SEJ Awards: 2025 Categories and Entry Forms

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SEJ Awards Categories:

Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding Investigative Reporting, Large

Recognizes an investigative report or series on a single environmental topic, originally published or aired between May 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.

Qualifying investigative entries must demonstrate the use of journalistic skills and techniques to uncover facts not otherwise available to the public. Judges will be asked to consider the impact and results of the reporting.

Entry Guidelines

Up to five stories may be submitted; related stories and sidebars published the same day count as one story.
Only work published or aired by the original media outlet is eligible.
- Republished or rebroadcast stories are not eligible.
- Online stories that have been edited or altered after July 31, 2025 are not eligible.

Eligibility – Large Newsroom Criteria

Print or online entries: Stories published by news organizations with more than 100 full-time editorial staff, including reporters, editors, copy editors, art directors and others directly engaged in producing journalism. External collaborators such as freelancers and contractors must be included in the staff count when determining market size.
TV and Audio Entries
- Total combined runtime for audio/visual submissions must not exceed 60 minutes
- National networks in the U.S. and internationally
- Local stations in the Top 50 U.S. television markets or Top 100 U.S. audio markets
- Or equivalent markets outside the U.S.

Collaborative entries involving both small and large newsrooms will be classified as large-newsroom entries.

Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding Investigative Reporting, Small

Recognizes an investigative report or series on a single environmental topic, originally published or aired between May 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.

Entry Guidelines

Up to five stories may be submitted; related stories and sidebars published the same day count as one story.
Only work published or aired by the original media outlet is eligible.
- Republished or rebroadcast stories are not eligible.
- Online stories that have been edited or altered after July 31, 2025 are not eligible.

Eligibility – Small Newsroom Criteria

Print or online entries: Stories published by news organizations with 100 or fewer full-time editorial staff, including reporters, editors, copy editors, art directors and others directly engaged in producing journalism. External collaborators such as freelancers and contractors must be included in the staff count when determining market size.
TV and Audio Entries
- Total combined runtime for audio/visual submissions must not exceed 60 minutes
- National networks in the U.S. and internationally
- Local stations operating below the Top 50 U.S. television markets or Top 100 U.S. audio markets
- Or equivalent smaller markets outside the U.S.

Collaborative entries involving both small and large newsrooms will be classified as large-newsroom entries.

Outstanding Beat Reporting, Large>

Recognizes three to five broadcasts, published news reports or commentary pieces covering either a wide range of environmental topics or multiple aspects of a single environmental topic originally published or aired between May 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.

Entry Guidelines

Up to five stories may be submitted; related stories and sidebars published the same day count as one story.
Only work published or aired by the original media outlet is eligible.
- Republished or rebroadcast stories are not eligible.
- Online stories that have been edited or altered after July 31, 2025 are not eligible.

Eligibility – Large Newsroom Criteria

Print or online entries: Stories published by news organizations with more than 100 full-time editorial staff, including reporters, editors, copy editors, art directors and others directly engaged in producing journalism. External collaborators such as freelancers and contractors must be included in the staff count when determining market size.
TV and Audio Entries
- Total combined runtime for audio/visual submissions must not exceed 60 minutes
- National networks in the U.S. and internationally
- Local stations in the Top 50 U.S. television markets or Top 100 U.S. audio markets
- Or equivalent markets outside the U.S.

Collaborative entries involving both small and large newsrooms will be classified as large-newsroom entries.

Outstanding Beat Reporting, Small

Entry Guidelines

Up to five stories may be submitted; related stories and sidebars published the same day count as one story.
Only work published or aired by the original media outlet is eligible.
- Republished or rebroadcast stories are not eligible.
- Online stories that have been edited or altered after July 31, 2025 are not eligible.

Eligibility – Small Newsroom Criteria

Print or online entries: Stories published by news organizations with 100 or fewer full-time editorial staff, including reporters, editors, copy editors, art directors and others directly engaged in producing journalism. External collaborators such as freelancers and contractors must be included in the staff count when determining market size.
TV and Audio Entries
- Total combined runtime for audio/visual submissions must not exceed 60 minutes
- National networks in the U.S. and internationally
- Local stations operating below the Top 50 U.S. television markets or Top 100 U.S. audio markets
- Or equivalent smaller markets outside the U.S.

Collaborative entries involving both small and large newsrooms will be classified as large-newsroom entries.

Outstanding Explanatory Reporting, Large

Recognizes a story, series or occasional series that illuminates a significant, complex environmental subject originally published or aired between May 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.

Entry Guidelines

Up to five stories may be submitted; related stories and sidebars published the same day count as one story.
Only work published or aired by the original media outlet is eligible.
- Republished or rebroadcast stories are not eligible.
- Online stories that have been edited or altered after July 31, 2025 are not eligible.

Eligibility – Large Newsroom Criteria

Print or online entries: Stories published by news organizations with more than 100 full-time editorial staff, including reporters, editors, copy editors, art directors and others directly engaged in producing journalism. External collaborators such as freelancers and contractors must be included in the staff count when determining market size.
TV and Audio Entries
- Total combined runtime for audio/visual submissions must not exceed 60 minutes
- National networks in the U.S. and internationally
- Local stations in the Top 50 U.S. television markets or Top 100 U.S. audio markets
- Or equivalent markets outside the U.S.

Collaborative entries involving both small and large newsrooms will be classified as large-newsroom entries.

Outstanding Explanatory Reporting, Small

Recognizes a story, series or occasional series that illuminates a significant, complex environmental subject originally published or aired between May 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.

Entry Guidelines

Up to five stories may be submitted; related stories and sidebars published the same day count as one story.
Only work published or aired by the original media outlet is eligible.
- Republished or rebroadcast stories are not eligible.
- Online stories that have been edited or altered after July 31, 2025 are not eligible.

Eligibility – Small Newsroom Criteria

Print or online entries: Stories published by news organizations with 100 or fewer full-time editorial staff, including reporters, editors, copy editors, art directors and others directly engaged in producing journalism. External collaborators such as freelancers and contractors must be included in the staff count when determining market size.
TV and Audio Entries
- Total combined runtime for audio/visual submissions must not exceed 60 minutes
- National networks in the U.S. and internationally
- Local stations operating below the Top 50 U.S. television markets or Top 100 U.S. audio markets
- Or equivalent smaller markets outside the U.S.

Collaborative entries involving both small and large newsrooms will be classified as large-newsroom entries.

Outstanding Feature Story, Large

Recognizes a single feature story centered on an environmental topic, with a strong emphasis on storytelling originally published or aired between May 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.

Entry Guidelines

Entry must be a single story. Multi-part stories are not permitted.
Entry must not be directly tied to a recent news event.
Only work published or aired by the original media outlet is eligible.
- Republished or rebroadcast stories are not eligible.
- Online stories that have been edited or altered after July 31, 2025 are not eligible.

Eligibility – Large Newsroom Criteria

Print or online entries: Stories published by news organizations with more than 100 full-time editorial staff, including reporters, editors, copy editors, art directors and others directly engaged in producing journalism. External collaborators such as freelancers and contractors must be included in the staff count when determining market size.
TV and Audio Entries
- Total combined runtime for audio/visual submissions must not exceed 60 minutes
- National networks in the U.S. and internationally
- Local stations in the Top 50 U.S. television markets or Top 100 U.S. audio markets
- Or equivalent markets outside the U.S.

Collaborative entries involving both small and large newsrooms will be classified as large-newsroom entries.

Outstanding Feature Story, Small

Recognizes a single feature story centered on an environmental topic, with a strong emphasis on storytelling originally published or aired between May 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.

Entry Guidelines

Entry must be a single story. Multi-part stories are not permitted.
Entry must not be directly tied to a recent news event.
Only work published or aired by the original media outlet is eligible.
- Republished or rebroadcast stories are not eligible.
- Online stories that have been edited or altered after July 31, 2025 are not eligible.

Eligibility – Small Newsroom Criteria

Print or online entries: Stories published by news organizations with 100 or fewer full-time editorial staff, including reporters, editors, copy editors, art directors and others directly engaged in producing journalism. External collaborators such as freelancers and contractors must be included in the staff count when determining market size.
TV and Audio Entries
- Total combined runtime for audio/visual submissions must not exceed 60 minutes
- National networks in the U.S. and internationally
- Local stations operating below the Top 50 U.S. television markets or Top 100 U.S. audio markets
- Or equivalent smaller markets outside the U.S.

Collaborative entries involving both small and large newsrooms will be classified as large-newsroom entries.

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